1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for finding characters in the Chinese dictionary, using electronic devices such as computer program.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The ROOT-TABLE is a list of simple, basic characters according to the number of strokes. It is the equivalent to the table of contents in a book.
To find a character in a Chinese dictionary in the traditional way:
1) Ascertain its traditional root (as the starting point) for the character to be searched.
2) Count the total strokes in the xe2x80x9cROOTxe2x80x9d, that is in the traditional root.
3) Go the ROOT-TABLE and look for the root in a group of roots that have the same number of strokes.
4) Go to page indicated by the root.
5) Count the number of strokes in the character body (strokes after the root).
6) Look for the character in the group of characters having the same number of strokes. This is where the character is located.
However, ascertaining the traditional root is the most difficult aspect when finding a character in the traditional way. Some characters have many roots, and can be anywhere, but there is only one dedicated root per character. Some characters have roots that are not recognizable and some roots have dual forms, such as:
Character  has 4 roots with dedicated root (DRT)  which is deep inside the character body,  has 3 roots with DRT has 3 roots with DR has 2 roots with DRT  with root unrecognizable:  are dual form;  is the basic DRT.
The above examples illustrate the problem faced by traditional Chinese dictionary users. Because of this problem, Chinese scholars and educators introduced new methods for looking characters in early 1900, such as the FOUR CORNER and Phonetic Methods. The FOUR CORNER method uses a numerical number (0-9) to represent stroke type at each of the Four Comers. The Phonetic Method uses phonetic symbols instead of strokes. These methods have their shortcomings. Although the FOUR CORNER METHOD provides its users with 10 rules to interpret the type of strokes, the rules themselves need interpretations. The Phonetic symbols are not used in daily writing so they can be forgotten easily. These two systems have been used as supplements to the traditional ROOT-TABLE by some dictionaries currently in use.
The search for an easy way to find characters in a Chinese dictionary continues. Since November 1999, two articles in Sing Pao, a New York City Chinese newspaper, reported an over 70 years old Chinese, in south China, who spent more than 10 years cutting up characters in seven Chinese dictionaries and rearranged characters into 7 groups and strokes into 6 groups. So that characters can be found without knowing their traditional roots. He sent his discoveries to two universities in the City of CANTON for evaluation, and their comments were apparently favorable. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/340,174 (the 174 patent application) which is now U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,448 issued on Apr. 17, 2001 reveals the use of all traditional roots listed in the traditional ROOT-TABLE and the use of the writing root, which is the first root used in traditional Chinese hand writing. The present invention, however, does not make such a distinction; both the traditional root and the writing root will hereafter be referred to as a xe2x80x9cROOTxe2x80x9d.
Therefore, the strokes in these traditional Roots:      re not the starting strokes in handwriting and will no longer be listed in Root-tables for this invention. Users have to have a copy of patent application Ser. No. 09/340,174 which is now U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,448 issued on Apr. 17, 2001 in printed form before they can find characters they need. In contrast, the present invention envisions use the invention in the form of a computer program loaded in Windows 95 or Windows NT or accessed from a installation of the software code on a global computer network such as the Internet.